Laboratory for Cell Signaling
Group Director
Takashi SAITO (Ph.D.)
Signaling regulation for all steps of antigen recognition, activation and development of T cells are analyzed. These include the regulation of immunological synapse, TCR signal transduction, co-stimulation regulation and signaling in T cell development. Since T cells play central roles in the regulation of immune responses and diseases, results will be utilized for immune-modulation.
- Regulation of activation and tolerance of T cells
- Spatial and temporal regulation of immunological synapse and cell activation
- Signal Interface of innate and acquired immunity
- May 08, 2007
- The Laboratory for Cell Signaling of RCAI has elucidated a new activation mechanism for innate immunity, the frontier of biological defense system studies.
- September 08, 2008
- Clarification of a receptor causing inflammation in response to tissue damage
- October 10, 2008
- Elucidation of molecular mechanism determining immune response susceptibility based on the identification of a micro-cluster of CD28, an auxiliary stimulus receptor of T-cell
- January 20, 2009
- Identifying a receptor to Malassezia, a pathogenic fungus causing skin disease, opening the possibility of medical access to fungus induced diseases
- Takeuchi, A., Itoh, Y., Takumi, A., Ishihara, C., Arase, N., Yokosuka, T., Koseki, H., Yamasaki, S., Takai, Y., Miyoshi, J., Ogasawara, K.,and Saito, T.:
"CRTAM confers late-stage activation of CD8+ T cells to regulate retention within lymph node."
J. Immunol. 183(7): 4220-4228, (2009) - Yamasaki, S., Matsumoto, M., Takeuchi, O., Matsuzawa, T., Ishikawa, E., Sakuma, M., Tateno, H., Uno, J., Hirabayashi, J., Mikami, Y., Takeda, K., Akira, S.,and Saito, T.:
"C-type lectin Mincle is an activating receptor for pathogenic fungus, Malassezia."
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 10(6): 1897-1902,(2009) - Yokosuka, T., Kobayashi, W., Sakata-Sogawa, K., Hashimoto-Tane, A., Dustin, M.L., Tokunaga, M. and Saito, T.:
"Spatiotemporal regulation of T cell costimulation by TCR-CD28 microclusters through protein kinase C θ translocation."
Immunity. 29(4): 589-601,(2008) - Yamasaki, S., Ishikawa, E., Sakuma, M., Ogata, K., and Saito, T.:
"Mincle is an ITAM-coupled activating receptor that senses damaged cells."
Nat. Immunol. 9(10): 1179-1188,(2008) - Hara, H.,Ishihara C., Takeuchi, A., Imanishi, T., Xue, L., Morris, SW., Inui, M., Takai, T., Shibuya, A., Saijo, S., Iwakura, Y., Ohno, N., Koseki, H., Yoshida, H., Penninger, JM., and Saito, T.:
"The adaptor protein CARD9 is essential for the activation of myeloid cells through ITAM-associated and Toll-like receptors."
Nat. Immunol. 8(6): 619-629, (2007). - Yamasaki, S., and Saito, T.:
"Molecular basis for pre-TCR-mediated autonomous signaling."
Trends. Immunol. 28(1): 39-43, (2007). - Saito, T., and Yokosuka, T.:
"Immunological synapse and microclusters: the site for recognition and activation of T cells."
Curr. Opin. Immunol. 18(3): 305-313, (2006) - Suzuki, N., Suzuki, S., Millar, D. G., Unno, M., Hara, H., Calzascia, T., Yamasaki, S., Yokosuka, T., Chen, N-J., Elford, A. R., Suzuki, J-I., Takeuchi, A., Mirtsos, C., Bouchard, D., Ohashi, P. S., Yeh, W-C., and Saito, T.:
"A critical role for the innate immune signaling molecule IRAK-4 in T cell activation."
Science 311:1927-1932, (2006). - Yamasaki, S., Ishikawa, E., Sakuma, M., Ogata, K., Sakata-Sogawa, K., Hiroshima, M., Wiest, D.L., Tokunaga, M., and Saito, T.:
"Mechanistic basis of pre-T cell receptor-mediated autonomous signaling critical for thymocyte development."
Nat. Immunol., 7, 67-75 (2006). - Yokosuka, T., Sakata-Sogawa, K., Kobayashi, W., Hiroshima, M., Hashimoto-Tane, A., Tokunaga, M., Dustin, M.L., and Saito, T.:
"Newly generated T cell receptor microclusters initiate and sustain T cell activation by recruitment of ZAP 70 and SLP-76."
Nat. Immunol., 6, 1253-1262 (2005).